Harness-pad



(No Model.)

E. OELKUGK.

HARNESS PAD.

Patented Nov. .25, 1890 n4: Noms 51ans no., mnnwmmo., WASHINGTON, u. c.

NITE-D STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HARNESS-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,253, dated November 25, 1890.

Application tiled January 20, 1890. Serial No. 337,552. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD OELKUCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Pads, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification.

The invention relates to the class of pads which are placed under the saddle of a harness to prevent chaiing and galling a horse; and the object is to construct such a pad so as to relieve the back of a horse in the places Where the most weight and friction comes and leave an air-space under the pad in such places that is cooling and that provides an' opening into which lather and sweat can collect and remain 'until itis absorbed into the pad without being rubbed into the back of the horse.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an edge View of the pad. Fig. 2 is a View ot` the inner or padded side. Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section on plane denoted by the broken line :n no of Fig. 2.

In the views, the letter d indicates the pad, which is provided with the usual straps b, for attachment to a saddle,and the loop c, which is adapted to be buttoned onto the checkhook. The body ot the pad is formed from a comparatively stift piece of leather d, and to the inside of this is glued or stitched alining e of kersey, felt, leather, medicated rawhide, or a similar material which is soft for the hide of a horse. The lining e is stuffed or padded with hair or a similar material, so as to form two longitudinal ridges or cushions f along the outer edges of the pad,with a space or swale g between,which extends longitudinally through the center,so th at the centerof the pad will not touch the back of a horse when in use. These padded ridges f may be broken at the middle, so that the pad may more easily bend to conform to the shape of the back ot a horse, and also to provide a small opening` or space h when the pad is bent overthe backbone, so that no load or friction will come directly upon the bony ridge of a horses back.

A binding 'i is stitched around the edge ot' the pad to hold the edges of the lining and body together, as well as to give a better tinish to the pad.

Vhen the pad is in use, the padded ridges or cushions f rest upon. and touch the back of the horse, forming a bridge, and the saddle lies along the middle of the pad over the arch of the bridge, which gives and springs somewhat under the jerks and strains to which the saddle is subjected, so that the sudden force or pound of the pulls received by the saddle is not transmitted to the back of the horse, but is partially absorbed by the spring of the pad.

This form of pad particularly relieves the back under the terrets, where the weight of the saddle and the rigidness of the terrets. combine to chate the hide, as the b ase of the terrets connes over the air-space between the ridges f and cannot possibly gall the hide, and when the .ridges are broken in the midlle-that is, when they do not extend the entire length of the pad--as shown in the drawings, leaving the space h, the pad rests upon the back, each side ot' the vertebra, and does not draw upon and ohafe the ridge, as do prior pads. It will .be noticed thatthe airspaces g and h extend from end to end and edge to edge, respectively, of the pad and communicate with the open air, thus allowing a tree circulation of the air under the pad. The cool currents of air will to a great extent prevent the sweating ot' the animal at these points and will dry a large portion of the lather which is excreted.

In a flat pad the surface of the lining, particularly it it is 'kersey or feit, soon becomesv saturated with the excretion and hair which the chating of the pad draws from the horse and stiffens so as to beco'ine not only uncomfortable for the horse, but non-absorptive, and any further excretion is merely-rubbed into the back of the horse by the friction of the pad, causing sores.

Vith my pad the lather and sweat which are excreted can collect in the space g between the padded ridges f and remain until it is either removed by the action of the air-currents or absorbed by the padding and is not rubbed into the back of the horse by the pad, and as the sides of the ridges do not come in Contact with the hide of the horse they do not become grimed with the excretion and hair, so that they remain absorptive and will at any time soak up sweat and lather.

I olairn as my improvement- An oblongharness-pad con sisting of a body, a lining having its edge parallel with the edges of the body portion, a padding inserted between the body and the lining along the longitudinal edges thereof each side of the /middle to forrn the longitudinal ridges f, having the sWale g extending from end to end of the pad to forrn an air-channel, the said ridges divided centrally to form the transverse swale h, which extends entirely across the pad from edge to edge to form an air-channel, and a binding stitched around the edges of the body portion and lining to secure the one to the other, the said air-channels communieating With the open air, whereby aireurrents are permitted to pass, substantially as set forth.

EDWARD OELKUCK. Witnesses: p

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, Il. E. BACHARACH. 

